Sunday Dinner: Stew Recipe

Doesn't the smell of slow cooked food on a cold Sunday transform you into some kind of zombie where you simply follow your nose straight to the pot simmering on the stove as though you had no control over your actions? That allure is what propels me to constantly make the all contained, one-pot-meal, Sunday dinner.

This recipe is a combination of two - one that my mother uses and one from a cooking mag. The magazine recipe is fantastic but it's not mine so I had to revamp it and my mother's is another one of those incomplete recipes so I was staring at paper with missing instructions! I had to improvise.

This was delicious - the longer you cook the veal the better it is, of course. This dish can only be made when there is ample time. If you rush you will be disappointed - not by the flavor, necessarily, but surely by the texture of the veal. It will be tough.

The flavors were rich and hearty and the vegetables were soft and never lost their shape. I served this over elbow macaroni which was great. Eat with a spoon AND a fork (no knife required). There was only enough meat for a family of two adults and two kids -so if you're feeding more than that, double the meat but only add an additional half of all other ingredients.

Rosemary Veal Stew
1 Lb. stewing veal meat
1 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. butter + 1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, sliced thin
3 carrots, sliced thin
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced + 3" sprig
1 packet Lipton French Onion Soup Mix
3/4 Water + 1/2 cup Water
8 oz. white wine
1 cup canned, whole peeled tomatoes (drained of juice and cut up)
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley, divided

In a medium bowl combine the flour with the pepper and salt. Toss meat into the bowl and shake off the excess. In a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium high heat. When it's foamy add the veal and allow it to brown for about 5 minutes per side. Remove the browned meat and reserve. Add the extra 1 Tbsp. of butter along with the carrot and the onion to the pot and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the 1 Tbsp. rosemary. Raise heat to medium-high and continue stirring vegetables for another 2-3 minutes. Just as it starts to look dry and the pot begins to get very browned itself, add the wine and deglaze - scraping up all the browned bits. Allow the mixture to bubble and cook off for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a measuring cup, mix the soup mix with the 3/4 cup water. Then pour into the pot, as well. Add the meat back in along with the sprig of rosemary and mix well. Cover and simmer for 1 hr. 15 minutes. Mix once or twice during that time - but no more than that.

After the cooking time about, add the potato and the tomato another 1/2 cup of water mix well and recover. Allow the stew to simmer another 70 minutes. Add in 2 Tbsp. of parsley and mix. Simmer another 10 minutes.

Serve over elbows. And sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of parsley.